The Best Laid Plans
by Ayla Pascal
Summary: In the aftermath of the events of HBP, Snape makes some of the most important decisions of his life. Eventually SnapeHarry
1. Chapter 1

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**Chapter 1**

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With a swirl of his still battle-stained robes, Snape knelt down before the Dark Lord. He could feel the heat coming from the fireplace behind him. A private meeting. There were faint sounds from the room next door where the main contingent of the Death Eaters were gathered.

"Rise, Severus," the Dark Lord said and Snape did so. "Bella has informed me that you killed the old man. Is this true?"

Snape kept his head bowed as he spoke. "I apologise for my actions, my lord. It was presumptive of me to act without your bidding."

He was surprised when the Dark Lord laughed. "I am not displeased at i you /i , Severus. In fact, I am very pleased that our goal has been achieved."

"Thank you, my lord," Snape said. There was no denying the wash of relief through him. It was unlike the Dark Lord to grant such clemency even for an act that fulfilled his purposes. "But I am sorry for compromising my position as a spy within the Order." He sneered at the last word.

The Dark Lord waved a dismissive hand. "Your public loyalty to me is far more important." He paused. Snape looked up and could see a glitter in the red eyes. "I'm afraid that Narcissa and Draco Malfoy will be punished. My dear Severus, you didn't think you would be able to hide the Unbreakable Vow from me, did you?"

Snape sank down on one knee and shook his head. "My lord, the requirements of the Vow do not allow me to speak of it." He gulped as he felt the Dark Lord's gaze fix upon him.

"Look at me, Severus," the Dark Lord commanded. Snape looked up. "This I know. Bella has told me everything. She professed to be quite surprised when you agreed to the Vow."

"Lestrange has always suspected me," Snape said, careful to keep his voice neutral. Bellatrix was one of the Dark Lord's favourites and disparaging her was never a good idea. "It is unfortunate that my position of spy kept me from publicly supporting your esteemed plans. I feel glad that this is no longer the case."

"You have played your role spectacularly well over the years." The Dark Lord's tone was casual but Snape knew that it was anything but a normal conversation. One step wrong and he could be writhing on the ground, shuddering under _Crucio_. "Even I suspected at times that you were wavering." Snape felt his body stiffen imperceptibly. "But you have proved yourself tonight. You deserve a reward. What would you like, my Severus?"

"My lord," Snape said. "I would like to be there when you finally kill the Potter boy." Snape couldn't help but remember the darkened green eyes as Potter screamed _Coward_ at him. The word burned him and he felt a wild twist of loathing leap out of him at the mere memory of it. He sneered. "That boy has been the bane of my teaching career for the past six years."

"And the bane of my existence for the past fifteen years," the Dark Lord said softly. "Very well. You shall have your wish Severus."

"Thank you, my Lord." Snape kissed the hem of the velvet robes and was genuinely grateful.

--

Snape found the hero-worship coming off in waves from Pettigrew rather repulsive. Ever since he had set foot inside the front door, the small rotund man had followed him everywhere with a look of awe. It was not much of an improvement over the fear Pettigrew usually regarded him with.

"Wormtail, kindly _stop_ following me," Snape said acidly as he stopped at the doorway to his bedroom.

The other man quivered under his gaze. "I'm sorry," he muttered and scurried off, not before shooting another look of admiration at Snape.

With barely contained anger, Snape slammed his bedroom door and threw himself down on his favourite armchair. It had been a trying day but worth it. Dumbledore was dead and he was back in the Inner Circle of Death Eaters.

_Avada Kedavra_

Was it really that simple to kill the most powerful wizard of the time?

Snape knew that Dumbledore had to have been weakened. It was all in the way he was standing (or rather, _leaning_) on the ramparts. Still. He, Severus Snape, had managed to kill Albus Dumbledore.

It was all rather unbelievable.

Snape wondered what came next. Revolution was simmering in the Dark Lord's words as he addressed his followers that night.

_The old man is dead! We are now poised at the brink of a new world order and we must seize it with both hands. There is no room for the faint-hearted._

Snape could feel ripples of magic flowing off everybody Marked and into the Dark Lord as he spoke. There was pure power in his voice.

But, Dumbledore's last words refused to stop echoing in his mind.

_Severus … please…_

His colleagues had congratulated him on making the old man beg for his life. Snape had fought the urge to laugh hysterically as he heard their praise.

They were innocuous words. Pleading words.

Yet, they meant so much more combined with the mental image blasted into Snape's mind as he stared into Dumbledore's eyes for that microsecond. He was forcefully reminded of his promise and it made it so much easier to say the words.

_Avada Kedavra_

There was roiling power in those six syllables. The full power and lure of Dark Magic contained in two simple words. And with the words, Snape felt the old pull of knowledge and power that had led him down this long and winding path in the first place.

_Albus_, Snape thought tiredly, _I need your guidance, damn it. I can't do this by myself._

He clenched his hands on the intricate woodwork of the armchair until his fingers felt numb. He might not be a spy in the Dark Lord's eyes any longer but he was still a spy. A spy with no masters and nobody to report to. In some eyes, he was now the perfect spy.

The next few months would determine the future of the wizarding world. Snape was sure of this. And he was at the forefront of the whole mess.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Snape woke up from a light sleep to the sound of knocking at his front door. By the look of the world outside his window, it was nearing dawn. There was a pinkish tinge on the horizon. Standing up, he felt the strains of the previous day in the stiffness of his back. He gritted his teeth and ignored it.

Slipping on a tattered dressing gown, he stalked over to the front door and flung it open. Standing on his front step, with a cloak around his shoulders, was Draco Malfoy. His face was pale and drawn.

"Professor," Draco said hurriedly, "please. I need to talk to you."

Snape noticed that Draco's voice was raspy and thought that it was probably due to over-exposure to _Crucio_. The Dark Lord was not pleased with him the night before. He stepped back and held the door open. "Well come in then," he snapped.

The look of gratefulness on Draco's face was almost pathetic. Snape fought the sudden urge to advise the boy to run away. He would be reasonably safe in the Continent, safer than here in England anyway. It simply wasn't fair that a child – a boy he had mentored himself – was forced to kill to prove himself. _Of course_, Snape reminded himself, _despite this, it was still obvious where Draco's loyalties lay_.

Once Draco was seated, Snape took a chair opposite him and folded his arms. Draco shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.

"I hope you don't expect me to _thank_ you," Draco muttered as he undid the clasp on his cloak. Snape noticed that his fingers were trembling. "I would have completed the task."

"Of course," Snape said acidly. "That is why you were frozen with indecision." He watched as Draco flinched at his words.

"He was really furious," Draco whispered, staring down at his hands which were clasped in his lap. "He… he..."

"There are consequences to disobeying the Dark Lord," Snape said. "Perhaps this will teach you not to hesitate next time."

"N-next time?"

"Of course," Snape said, "you have taken your father's place in our circle. Surely you did not believe that one task would be enough to determine your loyalty." From the expression on the boy's face, it was obvious that he did think exactly that.

"So it's not over," Draco said bitterly.

"It will not be over until we win," Snape said. "This is a war. Everybody must make sacrifices."

"And I suppose my next task would be to capture Potter. After all, that is the next most difficult thing to do after killing Dumbledore and since you've already done that." The words came tumbling out as Draco sat there fiddling with the elaborate _M_ clasp of his cloak.

"Draco, stop acting like a child," Snape said sharply. "Narcissa will be displeased if you break that."

Draco glared at him, and Snape was struck anew with just how young the boy was. His face was paler under the harsh Muggle light than in the pre-dawn light outside.

"When did you last eat?" Snape asked suddenly.

Draco frowned. "Yesterday," he admitted.

Snape couldn't help but feel some sort of responsibility for the boy. Perhaps it was a remnant of the Vow but he knew that this was wishful thinking. Six years of looking after his Slytherins had left its impact on him. Snape was just glad he was able to be himself in his own quarters at Hogwarts. And now, even that was denied to him. Wormtail, it seemed, was here on a semi-permanent basis. Well that did have a few benefits.

He stood up, walked over to a closed doorway and rapped on it. "Wormtail, we have a visitor. I suggest you prepare us some breakfast."

There was an unhappy murmur from inside the room. Snape raised an eyebrow. "Was that a word of protest I heard?"

"No, I'm sorry, Severus!" There was a scuffling sound and the door opened.

Snape took an involuntary step backwards and wrinkled his nose. Wormtail was looking worse than ever, standing there in nothing but a wrinkled nightshirt. There was a faint sour smell coming from the other man. "Take a bath first," he ordered.

Wormtail gave a faintly abashed nod. Snape could see Draco's amusement out of the corner of his eyes as the other man hurried away. As Snape sat down again, he asked, "Was there a particular reason why you felt like you needed to see me?"

Draco froze.

"I need your help," he finally admitted.

Snape was amused but didn't show it. "Why do you need my help? I would have thought that the son of the great Lucius Malfoy needed nobody's help."

"My father is in Azkaban," Draco spat out angrily, "as you continually remind me. Mother wanted me to come here today. She wants me to learn from you. To learn how to be the perfect Death Eater."

"You don't sound particularly pleased," Snape said. "Anybody would think that you weren't glad to serve our Lord."

Draco stiffened and his expression froze into one reminiscent of the young Lucius Malfoy. All icy pride and stiff manners. "I am very proud to be serving the Dark Lord," he said.

But Snape, with his years of hiding in shadows, could detect a note of uncertainty in his voice. It was obvious that Draco was wavering between what he had always been brought up to believe and what he now could see in front of him. Albus would have considered it a good thing that Draco was unable to kill but a part of Snape wished that Draco had. Then he wouldn't be in this position. He wouldn't have to conceal himself in his Death Eater persona all day long. Albus had trusted him, but Snape now wondered whether that trust was well-placed or not. It would be so simple to slip from pretending to be a Death Eater to actually _being_ one.

"Professor?" The sound of Draco's voice broke into his thoughts and Snape realised with a start that he had been silent for too long.

"There is no need to address me by that title any longer," he said abruptly. "I am no longer your professor."

Draco stared at him. "What should I call you then?"

Snape's lip curled. "I'm your colleague now. Perhaps my name would suffice?"

"Yes… Severus."

The same name, but it could sound so different coming from different lips. From Albus, his name had sounded friendly, comradely. From the Dark Lord, it was a sibilant hiss of serpents. But from Draco, his name evoked the image of a stern taskmaster, an old curmudgeon and Snape realised that this was what Draco saw him as.

Snape heard somebody clear his throat and saw that Wormtail had entered the room. The other man had obviously had a bath for his hair was dripping wet and his clothing looked faintly damp. "Breakfast is on the table," he muttered.

"Why can't we just conjure up some?" Draco asked.

Standing up, Snape glared at the boy. "Perhaps because we are fugitives from the Ministry and they are undoubtedly trying to trace our magical signatures at this very moment. The only reason why they aren't bursting in here is because the Dark Lord himself is our Secret Keeper. I would rather take no chances," he said. "I sincerely hope your mother had some sense and sent you here via Untraceable Apparation."

Draco nodded mutely.

Snape left the room and walked towards the dingy little kitchen without seeing if Draco was following. As he entered the kitchen, he could hear Draco's footsteps coming after him.

Looking around, Draco wrinkled his nose. "Why do you live here?"

"Did you perhaps forget my declaration yesterday?" Snape said acidly. "You just requested the help of a half-blood. This was my father's house until he was… relieved of it."

Snape could see a myriad of emotions flicker over Draco's face before it settled back to neutrality. "I would still like your help, _Severus_." There was just the tiniest emphasis on his name.

"We'll see." Snape sat down and stared at the breakfast Wormtail had prepared. It was poor fare and he was surprised that Draco did not complain. There was a look of disdain on the boy's face as he examined the soggy bacon and watery eggs but not a word of criticism. It took all of Snape's self-control not to simply wave his wand and change it into an edible meal.

Snape was despairing of what to do with Wormtail. The Dark Lord, finding little use for the rat, had assigned him to help Snape. So far, Snape had found Wormtail useless for anything, even house-elf work.

As Draco ate, Snape could see the colour slowly returning to his face. The boy had never had a particularly ruddy complexion, but it was now nearing his normal shade of white with a tinge of pink on the cheeks. "Thank you," Draco said, after a long silence. "For the meal, I mean."

He sneered. "Doubtless your house-elves could prepare far more edible food." Snape could see Wormtail cringe at his words.

"Unfortunately," Draco said, "as you said, we are fugitives from the Ministry. Going home, at the moment, is not an option." His words were slightly shaky.

Snape suspected that the boy was on the verge of collapsing. He was veering from the role of the Malfoy patriarch that he had been groomed from birth to be, to somebody who was on the verge of revolting against the Dark Lord, to somebody who accepted his fate far too calmly. The boy needed to be taught some control or he would be killed. A part of Snape wanted to agree to this plan. With Draco under his tutelage, perhaps he could temper the effects of the Dark Lord on the boy. _Or perhaps_, a voice taunted, _you just want somebody to confide in_. He ignored the voice.

There were obvious benefits in keeping Draco close to him. It guaranteed the loyalty of Narcissa and he could stop the boy from getting himself killed needlessly.

Nevertheless, there were just as many pitfalls. Wormtail was as stupid as they came so Snape had no fear of being able to hide any possible signs of his disloyalty to the Dark Lord from the rat. But if Draco were to stay, there would be no chance of him ever contacting his former colleagues. Of course, Snape was positive that the Order was currently in the process of vilifying him. He didn't expect any better from them.

Still, Snape wondered how he was going to achieve his final goal without at least some help. Either the Order. Or somebody else. There were only so many factors one person could consider.

"I will contact the Dark Lord," Snape said, at last. "He is very displeased with you, Draco. This is true, but, I may be able to convince him that it was youthful indiscretion that stayed your hand."

"Thank you," Draco blurted out.

Snape stared at him until the boy looked away. "Consider this a debt you owe to me."

Draco nodded, not seeming surprised at all. Then again, Snape hadn't expected him to be. This was simply the way things operated in Slytherin House.

They finished their breakfast in silence.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The house looked like a derelict ruin from the distance. Its front face was overgrown with ivy and the bricks looked chipped. The pathway lying in front of Snape was strewn with leaves and dirt. It wound its way through the garden before touching the house at a side entrance.

"This is where the Dark Lord told us to meet," he informed Draco who made a face. Snape itched to slap the expression off Draco's face. "I hope you aren't planning to present that face to the Dark Lord," he said.

Draco stared up at him in surprise.

"The Dark Lord has little patience for people who cannot succeed. I advise you to look penitent but do not pout," Snape warned. "There is only so much my protection can offer you."

There was no response from Draco. Snape looked over and saw that the boy was staring at his feet as he walked.

"Is that a posture worthy of the head of the Malfoy house?" he said scathingly.

Draco reacted as if slapped. "My father is still the head of the Malfoys."

Snape made a mental note to train the boy to keep his emotions to himself. It would not do for him to react this way in front of the Dark Lord. If he could mould the boy into the appearance of a perfect Death Eater, the Dark Lord would trust him as much as he trusted Bellatrix. In other words, Snape thought as he remembered Albus's words, as much as the Dark Lord could possibly trust somebody.

"Not while he rots in Azkaban, he isn't." Snape kept his tone light, almost conversational but Draco stopped almost immediately.

"How dare you," he spat. "How dare you say that about my father?"

Snape looked at him impassively. "I say nothing more than the truth. When have you been unable to face the truth, Draco?" He paused. "Remember this. It is you who came to me for help."

There was a hard look on Draco's face. "Fine," he said, sounding strangled. Then, without another word, he stalked past Snape.

Snape watched as the small figure stormed up the garden pathway, cloak streaming behind him. As Draco rounded a corner, Snape gave a start and hurried to catch up. The boy was stubbornly silent the entire way up to the house. A Death Eater who Snape didn't recognise opened the side door for them. Snape swept past Draco and entered the cold hallway. Lighted torches lined the way as he stalked down the corridor. He really didn't want to deal with Draco at the moment.

Pausing at the elaborately carved doorway, Snape waited until Draco was a few paces behind him before he pushed the door open. Before his eyes, he saw a wide hallway lit with floating candles. It reminded him of Hogwarts. Snape gritted his teeth. This was not the time to indulge in any sort of emotions beyond the anger needed to control his mental shield.

The Dark Lord was sitting on a dais at the other end of the room. There was nobody else in the room. Clad in elaborate robes, at this distance, the other man looked almost like the great revolutionary he purported to be.

Snape crossed the distance of the hall. Kneeling before the Dark Lord, he lowered his head. "My lord," he murmured. It took every shred of his self-control not to grab his wand and clench his fingers around it. It would be so easy to fire a curse at the Dark Lord. Surely, it couldn't be that hard to kill him?

"Severus." The Dark Lord's tone was measured. "Malfoy."

After a pause, Snape saw Draco kneel beside him. _He shouldn't have hesitated_, Snape thought.

"You wish to take Malfoy under your tutelage," the Dark Lord asked Snape.

Snape studied the grain of the wooden floor and traced the lines with his eyes as he fought to empty his mind. "My lord," he said, "I feel that Draco Malfoy has the potential to fulfil his duty as a Death Eater. He merely requires some assistance and I offer my own services. I have known the boy for six years and will be able to best help him achieve his potential."

"Look up at me, Severus," the Dark Lord commanded.

Unwillingly, Snape looked up into the bright red eyes and couldn't help feel the shiver slide down his spine.

"You are still afraid of me," the Dark Lord said approvingly. "Very well, if you feel that you can mould this miserable specimen of a wizard into a Death Eater to be proud of, then you shall be given the opportunity."

Snape saw Draco flinch at the words. He hoped the boy wouldn't say anything to endanger his life. The Dark Lord was obviously not pleased with the Malfoy family. "Thank you, my lord," he said, with as much sincerity as he could muster.

The Dark Lord held his gaze and Snape could feel the other man probing his mind. It came almost automatically to him now to raise a subtle shield. He brought images of the battle to his mind. The feeling when Potter had called him a coward. The arrogance of that brat to presume he could fight the Dark Lord. The feeling of loyalty to the Malfoy family. Finally, the Dark Lord released him and Snape relaxed infinitesimally.

"You have until the beginning of term to make a Death Eater out of him," the Dark Lord said. "I am only allowing this because you have performed me a great service. Take heed though, if this boy cannot get rid of his hesitations in the next two months, he will be mine." There was no question in Snape's mind that the Dark Lord planned to kill Draco if he could not be a loyal Death Eater.

"You are very kind, my lord."

The Dark Lord looked down at him. "Expect a gathering of my most loyal Death Eaters in a few days time. Malfoy may attend as your protégé. We will discuss the Potter issue."

Snape inclined his head. "I will be there, my lord." He made sure there was an eager note in his voice. Better to make the Dark Lord believe that he was unstable and overly eager to exact revenge against James Potter than to suspect him of being a traitor. Bellatrix was the perfect example of what the Dark Lord looked for in a perfect servant. Intelligent. Ruthless. And just slightly insane.

"You may go now." The Dark Lord dismissed them with a wave of his hand.

--

"That went better than I thought," Draco said once they were back at Spinner's End. "I thought he'd cast," he stopped suddenly and gulped.

"_Crucio_ on you?" Snape asked casually. "I'm sure the thought passed his mind."

Draco twisted the material of his silk robes through his fingers, pulling, stretching it until Snape slapped his hands. "Why'd you do that?" Draco demanded.

"You are under my control now," Snape said evenly. "You wouldn't want to destroy that set of robes. Imagine appearing in front of the Dark Lord in torn robes." He was pleased to see Draco blanch.

"I have money," Draco tried to say but Snape cut him off.

"You will learn self-control, Draco," Snape said. "There is no harm in starting off with discipline in controlling money." He couldn't help relishing the expression on the boy's face. This was so very different to nearly twenty years ago where Snape was sitting next to a wealthy and influential Lucius and asking for his help.

Draco stood up and brushed off his robes in a pointed manner. "I'm going to my room," he said stiffly. He walked to the door and paused. Turning around, he gave what seemed like a slightly mocking bow. "I suppose I should thank you for this."

He then left.

Snape was faintly amused to see that Draco did not actually apologise. It was a gesture that spoke very strongly of the Malfoys. A part of him couldn't help but feel pleasant anticipation for the next two months. It would be good to mould Lucius Malfoy's son. And Snape had no intention of making Draco a good, obedient Death Eater.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It was a gathering of the most trusted Death Eaters. As Snape entered the room, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of nervousness. Tonight would be different. There would be no Order behind him to draw him out if something went wrong. There were just too many variables. Too many people. Anything could happen.

Beside him, Draco shifted slightly and tugged at his robes. Snape glared at him and was gratified to see Draco stiffen. Obviously that particular lesson had managed to get into the boy's head.

They took positions at the back of the small group. It was a good vantage point to observe everybody else without being observed themselves. Snape could see the Dark Lord standing at the front of the room. As he watched, the crowd parted.

"Severus," the Dark Lord said, ignoring Draco completely. "It's good of you to finally arrive." There was a dark note in his voice.

Snape bowed his head. "I'm sorry, my lord," he said. "We had to arrive on Muggle transport which is unreliable at best."

The Dark Lord stared at him for a moment and seemed to accept the excuse. He then turned around to face the rest of the Death Eaters. "My most loyal followers," he began. "I am aware that some of you are still celebrating the death of Albus Dumbledore. His death has benefited our cause greatly but we must not forget that we are in the middle of a war. This war will not end until the boy is killed." There was no doubt in anybody's mind which boy he was talking about. "We are here today to decide upon a solution to this problem."

Snape suddenly had an idea. He cast a sidelong glance in Draco's direction and could see that the boy had an impassive expression. He hoped that Draco would be able to keep it that way. "My lord," Snape said, kneeling.

The Dark Lord turned around in surprise. "Stand, Severus," he ordered.

As Snape stood, he looked up and found himself staring into the blood-red eyes of the Dark Lord. "My lord," he said carefully, hoping that his shields would remain steady, "as you already know, I have taken Draco Malfoy as my protégé." There was a surprised murmur around the room. Out of the corner of his eye, Snape could see the dark glittering eyes of Bellatrix staring at him. "He has expressed deep regrets over his recent actions and would like to prove that he is worthy of this organisation. Draco has asked that he be given the chance to capture Harry Potter before the beginning of school term. He feels that he is the most appropriate person for the job and that this will prove his loyalty to you, my lord."

Snape dared not glance to the side to see what Draco's expression was. There was no sound from the boy, which was a good sign. As he watched, the Dark Lord scrutinised Draco.

"Very well," the Dark Lord finally said slowly. "I will give you this chance. I hope you prove better than your father." He turned his gaze to Snape. "I expect you to assist Malfoy."

"I will do my best, my lord," Snape said, feeling relieved. "We will not fail you."

"I will not fail you," Draco suddenly said. His voice had a determined edge to it and he suddenly sounded older than his seventeen years.

"See that you do not." The Dark Lord turned away from them and was about to walk away when a voice spoke up.

"My lord, is this wise?" It was Bellatrix.

Snape couldn't help but smile faintly. She was the only one in the room who would have spoken up to question the Dark Lord's decision.

"You called this meeting today to discuss the Potter issue. Instead you give the task to a boy who has already failed you once already," Bellatrix said, sounding angry.

"You forget," the Dark Lord said coldly, "that the task also goes to one of my most loyal of servants, Severus Snape. He has completed the task that none of you were able to do. He will ensure that this does not fail. Do you question my decision?"

It was obvious Bellatrix was rethinking her decision to speak up. "No, my lord," she said. She seemed to visibly steel herself.

To Snape's surprise, the Dark Lord gave a high laugh. "This is a joyous occasion, not a time for punishment. I will let this one slide, Bella. But do not presume to question me again."

"No my lord," Bellatrix said quickly. "Thank you, my lord." She sank down and kissed the bottom of his robes.

The Dark Lord looked around at the rest of the Death Eaters. "There is a feast in the next room prepared by the house-elves. It is a fitting meal for my most loyal of followers." With those words, he walked over to a door in the side of the room and opened it.

The smell of cooked food wafted through the door to Snape's nose. He would have followed the rest of the Death Eaters through the door immediately – there was only so much of Wormtail's cooking he could stand – if Draco had not clutched at his robes.

"What is it?" Snape asked quietly.

Draco's steely grey eyes were hard. "You will explain what just happened when we go back."

Snape wrenched the fabric of his robe away from Draco's fingers. "Think about it, you stupid boy." He stalked away, not looking back if Draco followed.

When he entered the other room, he found himself face-to-face with Bellatrix. She had a grim expression on her face. Her hooded eyes showed nothing. Automatically, Snape clamped down on any possible thoughts that could be read off his mind. He was never positive whether she knew Legilimency but her instincts were usually unerringly accurate. It was possible she was a natural Legilimens.

"You may have fooled our lord," she said quietly, "but you'll never fool me." She spun around and seated herself near the head of the table near the Dark Lord. There was obviously suppressed anger in her step and Snape wondered whether she was annoyed that she was no longer the Dark Lord's favourite servant.

As Snape looked around the table for a seat, he was surprised to see Fenrir Greyback sitting by himself holding a goblet of a suspiciously red liquid. He walked over to the werewolf and sat down two seats down.

"I wasn't aware that you had turned vampire," he commented blandly.

Greyback turned towards him and gave a red-stained smile. "The Dark Lord said he would be displeased if I ate any of his followers." He wrinkled his nose. "Not that you look particularly appetising."

Snape found he had nothing to say to that. He heard the chair to the other side of him being pulled out and saw that Draco was sitting down.

Greyback stared at Draco until the boy shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "You'll have some trouble training this one, Severus," he said.

"I didn't ask for your advice, _Fenrir,_" Snape said coldly.

"But you may need it some day." Greyback didn't sound fazed by Snape's tone of voice. Snape couldn't help but feel grudging respect for the werewolf because of this. It was the brave – or stupid – person who did not fear Severus Snape.

"I doubt it." Snape turned away.

--

Snape could tell immediately that Draco was furious. The boy was pacing back and forth on his living room carpet. "Stop that," he ordered. "You will wear a hole in the carpet."

Draco glared at him. "Don't you dare call me a stupid little boy again," he spat.

Snape sneered. "If the label fits. You seem to forget yourself, my little protégé." The sound of Draco's grinding teeth was clear. "Perhaps," Snape continued coldly, "if you thought about it for a while, you would realise why I offered your assistance."

Draco's eyes narrowed at him. "Why don't you just tell me?"

"Very well then," Snape said, making a mental note to teach the boy how to make connections in his mind. He didn't think that it was that difficult to come to his conclusion. "You have shown yourself to be unwilling to take the necessary actions of a Death Eater. Potter, being the foolish, trusting, child he is, would easily be swayed into believing that you were no longer a willing servant of the Dark Lord."

Draco gaped at him.

"It is obvious that this job cannot be done without me," Snape said. "However, it is equally obvious that Potter is very unlikely to ever trust me again. Therefore, it is up to you to get Potter to trust you. Get close enough to him, past the guards, and slip him a Portkey."

"You make it sound so simple," Draco muttered. "Potter will never believe me."

"It is a simple plan," Snape said. "But don't be fooled that the execution will be straightforward. The Order has Legilimens' other than Dumbledore. You must learn how to hide your thoughts. You must get close enough to Potter to convince him that you have re-thought your loyalties. You must get him to _trust_ you." He paused. "No, Draco, it is not an easy task at all."

"It sounds impossible," Draco said flatly.

Snape couldn't help but smile wryly. "Nothing is impossible, Draco. With my help, we will succeed."

Draco still looked dubious but he nodded anyway.

Snape was rather unsure himself. He knew how carefully Potter was guarded during the holidays. Once in Grimmauld Place, the boy would be almost impossible to get out. The only chance they would have would be to find the boy at his relatives' house. It would be unlikely that those wizard-hating Muggles would have anti-Portkey wards up. What he would do with Potter once they had him, Snape wasn't sure yet. He suspected that Potter would attack first and ask questions later.

Still, Snape focused his mind on the task at hand. He had to prepare Draco first. Perhaps if he could get Draco on his side then this would all become easier.

Not for the first time since Albus's death, Snape wished that he still had the help of the Order.


End file.
